Exodus 20:3-6
The First Commandment
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Acts 17:16-34
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.
24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
Paul was greatly distressed that in Athens the city was full of idols...He knew the first commandment was we will have no other gods before our LORD...And we are not to make images and idols out of material things and worship them...So Paul was distressed by the city being full of idols...So Paul wanted to tell them about the God of Israel...We are told that after Paul spoke to the Athenians in Athens that some of the people become followers of Paul and believed...While some did not...
Paul would give an argument to the unbeliever of Athens...But was it an argument?...Some did want, it seems to debate with him...We are told that a group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him...Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?”...Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.”...They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection...Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?...You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.”...(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)...
The latter part of Paul's speech could be given today to the unbeliever...And the first part finds Paul wanting to connect with the Athenians...So he finds a common ground of the subject of idols...He was not looking in anyway to find and use his differences in his beliefs, with the beliefs of the Athenians...Paul would get on the same page with his audiences...
Paul gave this sermon or speech to these new listeners, who had may have never heard of the God of Israel...He was speaking to a group of non-believers about our Father in Heaven...It was a speech to them, on why they should believe in our Father in Heaven...Paul stood up in a meeting of the Areopagus and his argument went like this: To the people of Athens!...I see that in every way you are very religious...For as I walked around and looked carefully in your city at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god...So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you...The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands...And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything...Rather, He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else...From one man He made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands...God did this so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any one of us...For in Him we live and move and have our being...As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’...Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill...In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent...For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed...He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead...
Paul did not debate or argue with them...His message and beliefs are from the heart to the new believer or non-believer...After he spoke they had a chance to reflect on what he said, and could believe him or not believe in the God of Abraham...As you read what Paul told them, he seems humble, reasonable and to me talks to them in a gentle way and caring way...This is not debate or argument tone as we read his words...Paul talked to them as brothers, as we are all offspring or children of God...Faith is often gained and persuaded with gentleness and respect...